Mikal Bridges remained in the Knicks’ lineup Tuesday night after landing on the injury report for the first time this season, extending what has been an impressive streak over his entire NBA career.
Bridges has appeared in 525 consecutive games since turning pro in 2018.
That is the 11th-longest streak in league history, and leaves Bridges 12 games behind former Knicks coach Derek Fisher for the No. 10 spot.
“I think watching him when we first got him, [it’s] the work that he puts in year-round,” Tom Thibodeau said after the Knicks won for the eighth time in nine games. “In the summer, the amount of time he spends in the gym, not only working on the floor but working on his body, I’m not surprised he’s got the streak that he does because it’s what he puts into it.
The 28-year-old Bridges is averaging 18.2 points while logging a career-high 38.3 minutes per game this season, tops in the NBA.
He is the only Knicks player to appear in all 51 games ahead of Saturday’s home clash with the Celtics.
“[It’s] his work. That’s the thing about Jalen [Brunson] and the same could be said for Mikal,” Thibodeau said. “When you watch him work every day, you’re not surprised. I think he prepares himself as well as anyone in the league. The work that he puts in every day, he builds his body up to withstand the things that he wants to do.
“I think that’s a big key to this. Sort of has an old-school mentality but he’s a phenomenal worker, has old-school durability. … And he does everything extremely well.”
Bridges, who was listed on the injury report Tuesday night with ankle soreness, still is not even halfway to A.C. Green’s all-time league record of 1,192 consecutive games played.
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Karl-Anthony Towns grabbed 20 rebounds against the Raptors — his fifth game of at least that many this season — and nine of those were on the offensive glass.
“You’re just setting a foundation,” said Towns, who ranks second in the NBA with 13.6 boards per game. “Offensively, I just wanted to do everything that I can to help us score the ball and keep it on the offensive side. I just wanted to make an impact on the game.”